Fluid driven core drilling apparatus



p 22, 1959 w. L. CHURCH 2,905,438

FLUID DRIVEN CORE DRILLING APPARATUS Filed July 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 War/fer L. (burr/7 INVENTOR.

BYWWAOW SeptQZZ, 1959 w. L. CHURCH FLUID DRIVEN CORE DRILLING APPARATUS Filed July 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 War/fer Z. (flu/ch INVENTOR.

ATTO/F/VE) United States {Patent FLUID DRIVEN CORE DRILLING APPARATUS Walter L. Church, Houston, Tex.

Application July 5, 1956, Serial No. 595,985

4 Claims. (Cl. 255-4) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a portable drilling rig and in a method of hydraulic drilling.

it is an object of this invention to provide means for drilling slim holes for exploratory purposes by hydraulic means including a means for hydraulically operating the bit and means for hydraulically operating the pipe raising and lowering means.

It is another object of the invention to provide means for drilling exploratory holes comprising a minimum of equipment, readily portable and requiring only a small crew.

It is well known in the well drilling industry that a cable operating rig, as compared with a rotary rig, is the most economic type of rig, however, it is useable only in areas where a dry hole is possible, because this type of rig will not operate where there is fluid pressure. This invention relates to a device and method whereby the economic advantages and the simplicity of operation of a cable tool is retained by carrying on its operation without the necessity of rotation of the drill stem, and the limitation of use only in a dry hole is eliminated.

It is another object of this invention to provide a drilling rig retaining all of the advantages of a cable tool rig as Well as all of the advantages of the rotary operated rig, operable with a minimum crew and readily portable into remote areas because of its few parts.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide 5" a drilling rig and a method of drilling in which the drilling is accomplished with a minimum of wear on the operating mechanism, and in which the drill stem is not rotated.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a light, portable drilling rig which will operate the drilling mechanism hydraulically and which will provide means for selectively coring the formation during drilling operations in a novel manner.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts more particularly described in the following specifications and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the means for raisingandlowering the tubing.

. Figure 2 is a sideelevational view, partly in section, of the hydraulically operated drilling mechanism.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the core barrel removing apparatus, and t Figure 4 is an end view, in section, taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a gin pole on which a suitable pulley 2 is mounted to receive the cable 3 which is mounted on the winch 4 at one end and connected to the swivel 5 at the other end. Suitable supports, as 6, are provided to retain the gin pole 1 in place. A mud pump 7 is connected by means of the hose 8, with the swivel 5 and the string of tubing 9 is suspended from the swivel 5.

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A pair of rigid cylinders 10, 10 are mounted on each side of the bore 11, and are preferably set in concrete. Hydraulic lines 12, 12 lead into the lower ends of the cylinders 10, 10 from a suitable source of supply (not shown). The cylinders 10, 10 are capped by means of the caps 13, 13, and suitable shafts, as 14, 14, extend through the caps 13, and have pistons as 15, 15 on the lower ends thereof and are yoked at the upper ends thereof by means of the beam 16.

The top of the bore 11 has the usual casing head 17 in which the usual slips 18 are removably mounted. The yoke 16 has a transverse vertical passageway in which a rotatable collar 19 is mounted on suitable non-friction bearings. Suitable slips as 20 may be removably mounted in the collar 19 when a section of tubing as 9 is extended therethrough. The string of tubing 9 extends from the swivel 5 through the collar 19 and casing head 17 and into the bore 11 and has a union, as 21 (Fig. 2), on the lower end thereof which has the internal projections 22, 23 and which is internally threaded to receive the end of the tubing string and to receive one end of a sub 24. A hanger 25 is mounted on the lower end of the sub 24, and is outwardly flared at 26, and has its outside diameter reduced and externally threaded at 27 to receive the ring 28. The ring 28 has an inwardly projecting shoulder 29 and is externally reduced and threaded to receive one end of the housing 313. A tubular rotating barrel 31 is mounted in the housing 30 and has an outwardly projecting annular shoulder 32 which suspends the barrel 31 from the shoulder 29 of the ring 28. Suitable bushings as 33, 34 may be employed to permit rotation of the barrel 31.

A series of transverse ports as 35 are provided in the barrel 31 to direct a jet of fluid out of said barrel through each of said ports, the number of said ports being selective, and said ports being preferably in longitudinal alignment. A removable liner 36 is mounted in the housing 39 and anchored against rotation as by the studs 37, 37. Longitudinal vanes 38 are formed in the liner 36 against which the force of the fluid ejected through the ports 35 impinges. The ports are cut at an angle to direct the flow against the flat faces of the vanes. The escape ports, as 38, are provided in the lower portion of the barrel 31 through which fluid may pass through the bottom of the barrel 31 into the passageway 39'through the bit 40. The lower end of the barrel 31 is externally threaded to receive the internal threads of the bit 40. The barrel 31 has an inwardly projecting annular ring 41 forming a housing for suitable antifriction bearings 42, which bear against the core barrel 43.

On the upper end of the barrel 43 is a spear 44 to which the latch 45 is pivotally connected by means of the pivotal links 46.

When it is desired to pull the core barrel 43, a fishing tool as 47 is dropped into the tubing 11 until the latch 48 engages the spear 44. When the fishing tool is raised, the spear 44 will disengage the latch 45 and permit the core barrel 43 to be raised through the tubing.

To make or break a string of tubing, the tubing section forming the top of the string is attached to the swivel 5, with the slips 18 holding the tubing in the casing head 17. In pulling a string of tubing, the shafts 14 are lowered and the slips 20 placed in the collar 19, through which the tubing has been passed, and the shafts then lifted by means of the hydraulic jack action of fluid through the conduit 12 into the cylinders 10 beneath the pistons 15. When the section of tubing has cleared the casing head 17, the slips 18 are replaced and the section disconnected by means of any suitable tool, such as the tongs 49, the slips 20 rotating with the pipe while holding the pipe in the yoke, and when disconnected, the slips 20 are removed and the section of tubing Withdrawn through the collar 19 as the shafts 14 are again lowered, and after the disconnected section has been disposed of by means of the gin pole 1 and cable 2, anot. er section of tubing is engaged and the process repeated.

.In making a string of pipe, the process is reversed, the slips 20 holding the pipe while it is lowered, and the slips 18 holding the pipe while the shafts 14 are raised. When anew section of pipe is being connected to the lowered section, the slips 20 will rotate with the pipe while holding the pipe in position.

When the tubing has been lowered into position, and it is desired to start drilling operations, the hydraulic fluid is pumped through the line 8 into the tubing at the desired pressure, and passes through the tubing and through the annulus between the core barrel 43 and barrel' 30 and through the ports in the barrel 31 and irn pinges against the vanes 38, forcing the fluid 31 through the ports 38, 39 and washing over the cutting edges of the bit 40.

A core catcher as 50 is provided in the lower end of the core barrel 43, which will retain the core caught as drilling progresses. If desired, a suitable core breaking means (not shown) may be lowered into the barrel 31, where work is being done that does not require a core.

The method sought to be taught herein is the method ofcomplete hydraulic drilling, employing hydraulic jacks for raising and lowering a tubing or drill stem and employing a hydraulically rotated bit for making a hole. By employing hydraulic jacks and the means herein described, or their equivalent, drilling operations'or other well servicing operations may be carried out with only suitable pumps and suitable pin pole equipment for'raising or lowering the pipe in the casing head of a size sufiicient to handle a single section of pipe. The length of the shfits 14 may be selective, the ability to anchor the pipe in the casing head at any point and anchoring the pipe in the yoke at any point and being able to rotate the string While in' the yoke, makes it possible to reduce the amount of rig equipment to a minimum.

7 While the foregoing is considered a. preferred form ofthe invention, it is by way of illustration only, the broad'principle of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is: I

In a drilling device, a tubular drilling stem, a hydraulic fluid under pressure in said stern, a stationary housing mounted on the lower end of said stem, a rotatable barrel in said housing in flow connection with said drilling stem, longitudinal vanes in said housing, tangential ports in said barrel in vertical alignment through which a flow of hydraulic fluid under pressure is tangentially directed against said vanes, a bit'on the lower end of said barrel, an axial passageway through said bit and a core barrel in said rotatable barrel and extending through said passageway said core barrel being of lesser outside diameter than the inside diameter of said rotatable barrel, providing an annulus between said core barrel and said rotatable barrel for the passage of 'hydraulic fluid under pressure.

2. In a drilling device, a tubular drilling stem, a hydraulic fluid under pressure in said stem, a stationary housing mounted on the lower end of said stem in flow connection with said stem, a rotatable barrel in said housing, longitudinal vanes detachably anchored in said housmg, a series of rows of vertically aligned tangential ports in said barrel through which a flow of hydraulic fluid under pressure is tangentially directed against said'vanes, a bit on the lower end of said barrel, an axial passageway through said bit for the exhaust of hydraulic fluid from said housing against the cutting area of said bit and a core barrel in said housing and extending through said passageway, said core barrel being of lesser outside diameter than the inside diameterof said rotatable barrel providing an annulus between said core barrel and rotatable barrel for the passage of the hydraulic fluid and means for removing said core barrel through said drillstem.

3. In a drilling device, a string of tubing, a housing on the lower end of the string of tubing and in flow connection therewith, a rotatable barrel in said housing and vanes in said housing, said barrel having a series of rows of vertically aligned ports tangentially formed in said barrel for discharging jets of hydraulic fluid tangentially against said vanes to rotate said barrel, a bit on said barrel beneath said housing rotatable by said barrel, a tubular core receiving barrel in said housing having core catching means at its lower end and a release latch at its other end, means on said latch to be engaged by a fishing tool for releasing said latch and withdrawing said core barrel from said rotatable barrel said core barrel being of a lesser diameter than the inside diameter of said rotatable barrel to provide an annulus between said core barrel and rotatable barrel for the passage of hydraulic fluid.

4. In a drilling means, a string of tubing, a housing on the lower end of said string of tubing, a rotatable barrel within said housing, fixed vanes in said housing, a plurality of rows of vertically aligned tangential ports in said rotatable barrel through which jets of fluid may be discharged under pressure tangentially against said vanes, a core barrel in said rotatable barrel, a drill bit onsaid rotatable barrel beneath said housing, discharge openingstor fluid under pressure through said rotatable barrel and through said bit, sealing means on said core barrel between said rotatable barrel and said bit and means for Withdrawing said core barrel from said rotatable barrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 169,347 Evans Nov. 2, 1875 1,270,808 Franklin July 2, 1918 1,770,488 Lachainp et al. July 15, 1930 1,934,329 Ruhl Nov. 7, 1933 1,935,105 Woolen Nov. 14, 1933 1,944,838 Hill Jan. 23, 1934 1,992,746 Fortune Feb. 26, 1935 2,126,933 Stone et al. Aug. 16, 1938 2,187,969 Gran et al. Jan. 23, 1940 2,494,363 Sewell Jan. 10, 1950 2,660,402 Devine et a1. Nov. 24, 1953 2,675,212 Parsons 3--. Apr. 13, 1954 2,716,018 Williams Aug. 23, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 890,782 Germany Sept. 21, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Turbine Drilling in USSR, June 1955, 225-5. (Particularly pages 42 and 43' (Fig. 8) are relied upon.) 

